


Kindred Spirits

by justwriting (orphan_account)



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Ultimate Universe, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Amnesia, Canonical Character Death, Canonical Child Abuse, Dom!James, Fade to Black, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Sub!Victor, TW:, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:44:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3440822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/justwriting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Multiple drabbles on James/Victor.<br/>1. When James loses his memories to trauma after Weapon X, Victor doesn't know why this stranger who calls himself Logan won't play right.<br/>2. Long before then, the two young men escape their homes with the Irish woman who took care of Jimmy when he was sick. Their relationship develops.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James loses his memories to trauma from the Weapon X program.  
> Victor can't understand why his partner won't play right.
> 
> Chapter Warning: semi-graphic fight; mentions of blood and other bodily damage; implied slash relationship; light swearing. Angst. Ish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have several headcanons regarding the Creed/Howlett family.  
> Let me start with the immediately important ones:  
> \- Victor and James were friends and neighbors in childhood. No blood relation. They've been on the road since Victor killed his abusive family members (as depicted in 616 comics).  
> \- Their serving in the militaty, as shown in the first three minutes of Fox's Wolverine: Origins, is accurate.  
> \- The multiple Weapon X torture scenes, excluding any and all by Fox's movie series, are accurate.  
> \- James has always been the Dom in their relationship.  
> -Victor's a great big softy at heart.

"What'sa matter, Runt?" Victor growled, waiting for James to get up. "Don' wanna play rough today?"

Logan groaned as he pushed himself onto his feet, fresh welts closing up. "Don't call me that," he snapped, then lunged at the larger man.

Strange. This game had all the marks of any other game they played, but somethin' was different. Somethin' bout the way Jimmy lept at 'im, said it like he was insulted 'stead of givin' a command. Still, Victor played along. He growled and swiped at Jimmy's face when foot-long metal claws rammed into his chest. He kicked James away and purred as the claws came out of his own chest and the punctures healed.

As soon as Logan hit the ground he got up and lunged again, this time slashing at the larger man - the blond stood at least a foot and a half higher.

Victor dodged the slash and his claws landed, deep as they could go, in Jimmy's side, tore ragged streaks as he ripped them out.

Logan snarled and turned to face the mammoth, planting his foot behind him. "Come at me!" he yelled.

Finally. Victor smirked darkly and then lunged, centered at Jimmy's legs. He pulled his attack at the last moment, knowing that his weight would crush the smaller man. This way James was only knocked off his feet - and practically thrown over and behind Victor, who turned just in time for a slash aimed at his back to gash his arm and side instead.

With James's permission now, things would be much more fun.

Victor fought back out of turn, and Jimmy kept up easily thanks to his agility. The former savored the sting of every slash and the deep pain of every stab. His own slashing attacks were heavy and brutal, but all of his weight and momentum attacks were pulled. Until he realized that James had adamantium-encased bones and nothing could crush them to brittle.

When it started being work to fight, when James was moving more slowly and arduously, Victor pulled all of his attacks and let Jimmy set to work on him with newly encouraged vigor.

That's when the strange thing kicked in.

James didn't stop.

Which was perfectly fine. That was his decision, Victor admitted to himself as Jimmy lunged and the larger man let it take him to the ground. But it wasn't like Victor had been wayward lately and needed the lesson. Actually, James usually knew when he was in a less violent mood.

"You're probably the worst combatant I've run into yet," Logan grunted, stabbing a fourth time into Victor's chest.

Yeh, that was enough. "Jimmy, don't say that shit."

"My name is _Logan_!" he snapped. Victor felt a rib crack as James landed another punch. That didn't hurt so much as Jimmy's use of that bastard's name.

"Sure, fine," Victor nodded, swallowing tightly and deciding to put up with it. "Logan. But don't be takin' nothin' out on me. Ain't fun. Gotta at least discuss that shit first."

"The hell are you talking about?" Logan growled. "I know you're not this beat, you son of a bitch. Get up and _fight_!"

Victor's eyes narrowed and he growled lowly. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want to put up with this bullshit James was shouting. He didn't want to play these roles, didn't want to call James by ol' Tom's name. But Jimmy had the lead. When he was done, this would be done. And _then_ he'd listen to his sub's feelings.

But if Jimmy was gonna push? Victor wasn't gonna hold back.

He roared at the smaller man, standing and all but carrying James as he lept forward. Creed slammed him against a huge pine, slashing hard and fast, animal nature loose and wrecking. When the other man finally fell unconscious, Victor let out a roar that likely terrified all the predators in this stretch of forest. All the prey, too. Wouldn't be any good eatin' 'til the mornin'.

He marked the trees around them, a circle with a half-mile radius. Gathered firewood while he was at it. Cleared a space of rocks and hard shit like that. Started a fire, carried Jimmy closer to it than to the trees around them. Sat a respectful distance away.  
His partner didn't smell the same. Victor figured it was on account o' the metal. Maybe the scent would fade.

When James woke up, Victor straightened and watched him attentively, disturbed at how the other got his bearings and then growled like he was pissed off. James didn't look at him as normally, neither.

"The hell do you want?" James snarled.

Victor's eyes narrowed. He was angry, now. This shit wasn't fair. "Wanna know what the fuck's wrong, James." Don' look at me like I'm stupid, Runt. I'll shred you for it, I don' care-

"You tell me! You're the one who's been tracking me since I woke up in the hills. Who the hell are you? What d'you want?"

"Don' play no games with me, Jimmy. I ain't in the mood and y'oughtta know-"

"Name's Logan. Bastard. Quit trackin' me." James got up and started to leave.

Victor couldn't believe it he stood with a growl. "Don' you walk away, Jimmy. We ain't got this shit sorted." No reply. Just kept going.

The blond stalked after him. "I said, don' you walk away, Runt."

Logan stopped at the nickname and turned around, fuming. His claws came out, slowly. Victor, honestly, was hurt. Sick o'fightin'.

"My name. Is Logan."

"Sure, Runt," he growled, extending his own claws.

James lunged again.

This time, Victor let 'im win, quick an' easy. 

But when he woke up, Jimmy's scent was stale.


	2. Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early-morning nightmares and talk.  
> Two young men sharing a room in an inn. Nightmares wake them early. Comfort/upheaval of past ensues.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: semi-graphic descriptions of violence, torture, and child abuse; non-graphic sexual activity; one swear; character deaths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I place Victor two to five years older than James, both overage at this point. They've been away from home for three years - James would have been fifteen upon leaving. (I know I've construed the timeline, but...I don't like the canonical one.)
> 
> Headcanons important to this chapter:  
> \- Victor and James have no blood relation. The Creed family lived on the outskirts of the Howlett estate.  
> \- Rose does not get accidentally killed by Logan in a fight with his half-bro Dog. The fight never happens. Because Victor kills Dog.  
> \- Rose and Victor were friends as Rose and James were. Because of their friendship, Rose would bring Vic to the Howlett estate now and then (the scarce instances Mr. Creed didn't have him chained up) when James was little.

_Gunshots. The flash of metal. Papa. Death. Rage._ __

_Pain in his knuckles. Rage, pure rage. Blood everywhere. Fresh air, wolf calls. Running. Rose-_ __

_The way Mother looked at him. The way she looked at him, like something was wrong with him-_ __

_Gunshot. Her lifeless eyes. Rose's hand taking his, taking him away. Victor waiting at the treeline. And then something was missing. Something about someone in the house behind them._ __

_Darkness. The lupine eyes staring at him, fangs bared and lips curled in a snarl. It was scared. Mad they were on its territory. She. Her territory._ __

_"Jimmy-"_ __

_Victor's hand on his shoulder, pulling him away. A loud roar. The snarl as it ran off._ __

_"Jimmy, are you awright-"_

\-----

"Jimmy. Jimmy, yer havin' a bad dream, that's all. Wake up. Jimmy-"

He shuddered awake to calm darkness. Then felt a hand on his arm and immediately unsheathed his claws and reared up to punch the owner.

Victor caught his fist easily, fingers closing over his hand between his claws. He held James back calmly until the other young man calmed down. "'s alright, Jimmy. Y'were just dreamin'."

James looked at the other man's face in the darkness. Victor. He breathed heavily until he calmed, didn't take his eyes off his friend. And he retracted his claws, wincing at the pain. Victor tongued along the fresh blood that rested over the closed wounds at his knuckles, cleaning it away. James sighed, the rest of his tension expelled. "Thank you, Victor."

The larger man purred. James smiled warmly and pressed him back, into the bed, hitched his leg over Victor's waist and lay down on top of him. He could feel the rumble in Victor's chest.

"Yer welcome." After a while of silence, Victor spoke again. "What was that 'un 'bout?"

James carded a hand through Victor's blond hair - grown out, uncontrollably, overnight, much the same as his own. "The same as usual. People shooting and yelling and dying. My claws. You and me and Rose running. Wolves howling."

Victor grunted. "We can tell ya the story again."

He shook his head. "I'll remember sometime. Twice is enough."

They lay comfortably for a while. Victor kneaded his claws into James' hips and purred. The smaller man grunted now and then, but lay his head on Victor's chest.

"You don't get nightmares, big brother?" he asked, using the familial term that they traveled with.

Victor shook his head. "Nah. Ain't got no time fer that shit, I guess. Me, I got memories. That's enough. Don' need to be livin' 'em at night, too."

James nodded. "Tell me one?" he asked.

The blond tensed beneath him, and James was going to take back his question. But Victor talked, in bits and pieces. "Awright. Summer before we left. Pa came in with the belt, an' the pliers. Got my teeth pulled again, got my hair clipped short...tore my claws out."

He'd dug his claws into Jimmy's rump without realizing, and James bit his lip. He tried not to groan, but couldn't manage.

Victor retracted them suddenly. "Sorry, Runt."

"No, that's fine. I enjoyed them. I was listening, too, I promise," he added.

The other smirked and kneaded his claws back in. His expression grew grave again. "Pa waited fer somethin' ta start growin' back. Claws came first. So he gave me ten off the bat fer every finger. An' then 'e pulled 'em out again an' burned 'em to try an' get 'em ta stay away. Then my teeth grew back. Plucked and burned 'em, too. Hurts more in the mouth."

James watched Victor's expression, unchanging, and frowned at the description he gave. "I hate your Pa."

He snorted. "Do ya' now?"

"I do," he said emphatically. "He was mean."

"He was scared, too. Scared lil' things wanna fight. He's a dead damned rabbit, now."

James nodded. He wasn't sure that he liked Victor killing his Pa and brother, but he knew he didn't like what they'd done to his friend. "Good."

"Y'think so, Runt?"

"I think so, Victor." James smiled just at the nickname. 

"Thanks."

Jimmy smiled and breathed Victor's scent deeply. "Gotta listen for anyone trying the door," he said quietly.

Victor grinned. "Now, who tries the door in an inn, eh?" he drawled, squeezing Jimmy's ass and at the same time digging his claws in, getting a stiffled moan in return.

"Don't know. But we still have to be carefu-" he cut off and smiled when Victor rutted up against his leg. He pointed a finger at the other man. "Didn't say you could do that, now did I?"

An annoyed look, but Victor stopped. "Can I fuck you, Jimmy? Please?"

The younger man's breath hitched. "Sure can. But..." he slid off of Victor and the bed, much to the other's dismay, and picked up the little pot of oil they kept. "You have to watch first."

The blond narrowed his eyes and almost whined. "Awright, Runt."

James grunted. "Off the bed. Stand by the wall and watch until I say I'm ready."

Victor complied, standing straight and licking his lips as he watched Jimmy prop up his knees and spread them wide.

"Y'ready yet?" Victor asked with a chuckle.

"Quiet and watch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I'm not totally sure what dynamic I'm developing in their pre-amnesiac relationship. If the transition to their fade-to-black scene seemed odd or off (specifically James's dominance?) for a reason you can explain, please comment.
> 
> If not... I'll keep going and trying!
> 
> I'll work out dates (or relative timing) eventually.  
> Thanks to whoever bears with me! XD  
> And thanks for the comments and kudos! They're encouraging and appreciated. ^.^


	3. Runaways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night Rose, Victor and James leave the Howlett manor and Creed household, a hierarchy is established among the trio.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: implied rape, animal cruelty (inhumane hunting practices), minor character deaths, blood, non-fatal wounding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanons applicable to this chapter:
> 
> There are none. It turned out to be lighter than I planned and not all that plot-related...although it has helped with development.

**Three Years Earlier**

Victor stared over the low yellow flame as he sharpened his claws. The Howlett boy was sleeping still. James. James was sleeping still.

He had slept for a long time once they stopped to rest. All afternoon, and now it was well past midnight.

Rose came back to the fire, and Victor's eyes followed her from the bush where she'd pissed to her seat beside James. She looked at him.

He looked back.

Rose was like so: she never looked away first. Her word- at the moment, that they needed to rest - came over Victor's- that they should keep going until out of region. She had been right, too, he admitted, watching James stir and then resettle into his sleep.

Victor respected her for establishing pack dominance. She was a kind leader, but she was firm and didn't take any shit. She was young Howlett's nanny, besides. He didn't need one anymore, with his healing factor, but if he woke up and found his caretaker dead...Victor took too much of a liking to the other boy and didn't want to pick off the last bit of family James had, especially if that family wasn't blood related. So even though he could easily shred Rose - overpower her, have his way with her and then leave her for scavenger birds to pick off, he chose not to. Same as he chose to look away when she continued staring at him.

"What is it, Victor?" the redhead asked, tossing a bit of firewood into the flames. She was referring to his intensity.

"Yer gonna need t'eat somethin'."

"Aye. So's wee Jim."

He nodded, examining his claws. Nice and even. He wondered what she'd choose- "Fowl or deer?"

"Fowl. Or rabbit. Whate'er ye can catch quickly, and enough for us all. We'll be too long traveling to carry the hoof's weight."

Victor nodded his agreement once again. Good decisions, good reasoning. She ruled out the least beneficial, but left him the ultimate choice in what he hunted, understanding that he knew better what prey was available. Rose had just given him the responsibility he had assumed: of hunting and killing for them all.

He growled lowly, a purr rumbling through his chest.

"Suppose ye want to have a go at it now," she said in reply to the sound. Victor glanced up at her and smiled, fangs showing - an eerie sight, when lit up by the fire. Rose didn't shudder. Damn, that woman had to be the only person in the town who had the nerve to look a demon in the eye. She waved him off. "Go on, then, lad. I know ye'll return when ye catch something. Same if wee Jim and me are in trouble. Go on."

Victor turned and left, vanishing from the firelight into the cool darkness of the scarce forest. Scarcely treed, but teeming with wildlife. Crickets here and there chirped time and temperature. An owl's call indicated the presence of small rodents. Wind rustled leaves and grasses alike. A wolf pack spoke amongst themselves in the distance. The young man's eyes adjusted quickly to the bright night's darkness as he moved silently and easily in this environment. The sky was glittering with stars, the galaxy showing itself in a broad line from horizon to horizon, surrounding constellations depicting ancient characters in eternal circulation above.

Not that stars and shit meant much to young Creed at the moment.

Sure, they were pretty. He felt the same serenity anyone else did when he took the time to appreciate them. Victor just didn't care to use his time to appreciate them. He preferred to use it to satisfy the craving he had for the prey, for stalking down and tearing apart.

Rose had said be quick, after all.

Victor continued through the grass and the little wood to a small clearing. There was a dirty little pond in the middle, a collection of rainfall and breeding mosquitos. The dank stench reached the hunter's nose and prompted him to move upwind of it. He scented his prey as he moved.

Rabbit. The damned woman was right.

There were several, feeding. Victor remained downwind, poised in a crouch, ready to spring. To bucks fed close to each other. The does were further off, nearer their burrows.

Victor killed one of the bucks, crushing it upon landing, and held the other by its neck, scratching and kicking and making noise. Small prey. Not worth much play. He tore its underside with a single claw and picked up the other rabbit, making his way back to the campfire.

The wolf pack howled again. Still distant, but the predator was keeping track. Territory and all.

He cut a couple branches, sharpened an end of each with his pocketknife. Used to be his old man's. Victor could still feel it digging into his stripped nailbeds in attempts to mar the digits so severely that the claws wouldn't grow back. When the skews were ready for the rabbits, the gutted one was still twitching. He made sure the point landed deep in its skull. The little kick of its paws stopped.

His return to their resting place was unnoticed: Rose had her attention only on James, looking up occasionally to the direction the wolves were.

"We'll be fine from 'em fer at least an hour," Victor spoke up as he nestled the skews over the flames.

Rose had startled mildly at his voice, but nodded. "Ye willnae bother reassuring me they don' track humans?"

He stared at her, looked down at James, back up at the caretaker. "We ain't human."

"Aye, suppose that makes sense. Ye need more firewood?"

"Naw. Can get that by myself."

Silence.

"Victor."

"Yeh?" he responded, looking to her.

"Don' ye e'er lay a hand on my wee Jim, ye'hear?"

He blinked, a bit taken aback. He hadn't planned on laying a hand on James. "Sure."

Rose looked fixedly at him. "I mean it. Ye ken go beating the lights out of e'ry Dick and Harry we come by, ken up the skirts of e'ry Mary and Martha. But don' ye e'er lay a harming hand on me Jim."

Victor nodded slowly, her words sinking slowly in, past the warble of her accent which his ear found pleasant. He narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned back against a tree, tilted his head to look at her. "Every Mary an' Martha?" he drawled, leering over her. It was a challenge, plain and simple, not a threat he intended to make good on, as pretty as she might be. How was the missus gonna reply?

She lay a protective hand on James. "Ye keep yer eyes off'a me, Creed. Ye lay hand on me an' I'll tear ye t'bits. Jim and I are'nae putting up with that sort of mess. Didnae put up with it from Dog, nor with it from ye."

He smirked at the idea of Rose tearing him apart. As if. But he did take her seriously, especially once the other young man was mentioned. The woman wasn't going to turn over and give up. Wasn't going to sell herself for the boy - and James wouldn't let her anyhow. Rose was gonna fight to protect her and her charge. Her resolve was good enough. He'd follow.

For a time, at least. Until he had a reason not to.

"I ain't hurtin' yer boy, Miss O'Hara."

She nodded stiffly.

The silence they sat in became comfortable, interrupted only by the ever-closer howls of the pack. Victor wasn't worried. The sun would be up in a matter of hours.

\------

James awoke to warmth, and the smell of cooking meat. He yawned, feeling rested, and immediately realized the strange smells and sounds about him. His eyes opened to see Rose. She was the warmth. And the light dancing on her face...he turned to the fire. There was the rabbit. Something stirred behind the fire - no, someone, because he moved forward and his shape was human. James recognized him, too, it was...he couldn't quite-

What were they doing? It-this was a fire. Outdoors.

"Rose?" he looked back at her. "What are we doing? Where's Pa?"

Rose looked at him steadily, her voice calm. "Jim, there was a scuffle at the house, remember? With Mr Logan?"

He shook his head. He didn't remember. "No."

"Mr Howlett-"

Rose held up a hand to quiet the voice, but James's head whipped around at it, remembering just a little. He looked again at the strange man, then at Rose. "Who's that?"

"That's Victor. Victor Creed. Remember? Him and his family live just outside your da's estate. I used to bring him to see ye in the summertime."

He nodded slowly, looking again at the older man. That was right. He remembered that. The time the groundskeeper, Mr Logan, had caught Victor on the estate, he'd driven the boy off, calling him a devil and telling him to go back to his father.

Rose had made sure Mr Logan never saw Victor on the property again.

Yes, he remembered that, he thought as he relaxed, snugging just a little against Rose. He looked up at the kind Irishwoman. "I remember. But what are we doing out here? Where are we, Rose?"

"Victor," Rose looked at Creed. James did also.

He shrugged. "We ain't all that far from the next town. Got jus' a bit o' human carried on the wind comin' from the north. Got a road to the west o' here. Could smell horses passin' earlier. Gotta be aways from yer old man's property."

James nodded slowly. "Why aren't we there?"

Victor glanced at Rose. She nodded permission. "Well, Mr Howlett. Sir L-" he paused, a low snarl gathering in the back of his throat, and corrected himself. " _Tom_ Logan went an' tried takin' yer Ma away. Yer Pa - Mr Howlett - wasn't puttin' up with that. Logan shot him up. Yer Ma swallowed a bullet." James paled at that, and Victor thought he'd add some encouragement. "Ya got a grand swipe at Dog with yer fancy claws, though."

James felt weak and upset. Ma and Pa were...dead? He didn't want to think about that. Instead, he put his focus elsewhere. "My claws?" he asked, but as he rubbed a knuckle with his other hand, he knew what claws Victor meant. He looked down at his fist and tried thinking really hard about them.

"Miss O'Hara, watch for 'em-" Victor warned. James looked up at him and then at Rose, realizing that he could hurt her. He stood up and moved away, shutting his eyes tightly and thinking hard again.

He sighed, caught his breath. He'd been holding it. The older boy looked a little disappointed. "They won't come out," James explained.

"Mind if I help?"

James looked him over, uncertain. Everybody knew about Mr Creed's devil son killing his brother. Mr Creed had sworn to punish the demons out of the boy. But Rose had brought him. And he hadn't done her any harm while James was asleep. He nodded.

Victor lunged at James with a vicious growl. Rose stood up. James yelled and held up his hands in defense, felt a splitting pain in his knuckles.

When he opened his eyes, it was to see those bone claws buried in the older man's chest, blood soaking Victor's shirt, the fangs peaking over his bottom lip. His eyes, though concerned, flashed with a sort of predatory delight. One that didn't typically come from being on that end of sharp objects.

James swallowed tightly, frozen in place. He couldn't have just stabbed someone. Why would Victor let him do this? He didn't want to watch the man die.

"Ease out, Mr Howlett," Victor's wet purr met his ears. There was blood in his mouth. James knew he must've punctured a lung or something.

He focused on retracting the claws slowly - a much easier effort than getting them to pop. Rose, he realized, was standing close behind him. Not too close. Just close enough that James felt safe.

The purr rumbled more loudly, interrupted only by a couple of grunts, and James could feel the vibrations through his claws. He paid attention to that. Stared at Victor. Victor stared fixedly back the whole time.

Once James had fully retracted his claws, he relaxed his fists, spread out his hands over the closing wounds on Victor's chest. The taller one still didn't look away - he smiled, in fact, slow and wide.

"I think the rabbits're done, lads," Rose's voice interrupted. Victor very slowly looked away from James to the woman, and when he looked back, his eyes were respectfully lowered. Even young as he was - fifteen, just over - the young Howlett understood that gesture. He couldn't have articulated it. But part of him recognized the submission.

Even as his hands rested by his sides and he turned to the fire, to Rose, James felt a distinct desire that drew his attention to Victor for fleeting moments through the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions on where to take the characters are welcome! I can't guarantee I'll use them in this particular story, but I may drabble for you.
> 
> As a note to readers and commentators: I do not, unfortunately, write explicit smut on here - it will always fade to black. I'll say it now so you don't have to cruise through bucketloads of plot and stuff and find out eh there's none in here.


End file.
